Life is our Sentence
by LucyLuna
Summary: A potions accident early in Harry Potter's sixth year changes everything for Severus Snape. AU. COMPLETE. De-aged Severus Snape.
1. Part 1

_Life is our Sentence_

* * *

Murmuring softly to himself over the low burble of his potion, the pale hand reached around the candle to grab what appeared to be several lizard, or maybe, snake tails. Scrutinizing the handful, he shook off a few and brought them over the cauldron; stopping for a moment to admire the white-gold color of the potion. A smirk pulled at his lips, but he thinned it away as he began to stir languidly. Dropping one of the tails, he began to count silently to himself,

"One, two, three, four..." He dropped another, "One, two, three, fo-"

Pain flared in his arm like a fire and he grunted, the rest of the tails falling in and out of the cauldron. Body trembling, he reached for his wand, ready to vanish the ruined potion, but...

"Shit!"

The gold-white bubbled a dangerous lime green and with no warning, it exploded. Toppling back, the man could only scream at the scalding pain of the liquid and from his arm as he curled into himself, searching for a bezoar stone,. However, it proved to be too late because a noxious fume rose up from the slime coating him and all he could do was turn on his side and spill the contents of his stomach before he passed out from the smell...

* * *

Watching with rapt attention, he studied the faces of his students as they filtered into the room. He saw the confusion, shock, joy and amusement play across their youthful countenances as they saw him sitting on his desk. Once they were all situated, he looked down - only to sigh at the sight of boys' loafers and rolled up pants. He had wanted to wear a miniaturized version of his robe, but he'd felt ridiculous, like a child playing dress-up. And that was not a way to go into his first class of the day where all his students were sixth years.

Hopping down, he attempted to ignore the way his hair bounced around his chin as students waited with open mouths and shifty eyes.

"This," he started by gesturing to his twelve-year-old body, "is a temporary side-effect to an interrupted potion and I will be my usual self in a week." Narrowing his eyes into a glare he knew didn't look at all threatening, he hissed, "I am still your professor and if any disrespect is shown to me, there will be more than a detention and a few lost points, understood?"

Several heads nodded, others stayed still and gaping, and one stupid, daring, _dunderhead _did not hide his snort. He then fell from his chair, hooting with laughter. Covering his face, the ex-potions professor gritted through a clenched jaw, "Fifty points from Gryffindor and I will be seeing you in detention for the rest of the month, Mister Weasley."

"You can't do that!" another Gryffindor cried along with the shriek of their chair against stone.

Letting his hand fall away, he raised an eyebrow at Hermione Granger. "Did I _not _just warn you all against disrespect?" Her mouth was open, retort ready to flow, yet he did not let it be voiced. Instead, he spoke loudly as he declared, "Yes, Miss Granger, I _did_."

Unbidden, his eyes meander to the last of their trio, the dratted Potter spawn. There was an uncomfortably contemptuous glower on his face and despite the knowledge he held, the defense professor's stomach did a flip. It was a lot like the face James used to wear when he thought Severus needed to be taken down a peg for some slight or a seemingly presumptuous action.

Fighting back the nerves the look brought forth in him, he raised an eyebrow at the sixth year and demanded, "Do you want to say something as well, Mister Potter?"

"No, sir," the boy replied quickly, his glower disappearing just as suddenly as it appeared.

Turning around to cast his wand at the board to start the day's instructions, the defense professor called over his shoulder, "You can join Mister Weasley in his detentions for that look, Mister Potter."

"What look?" he demanded. "You're bonkers!"

Shoulders taut with tension, the small professor turned and met the awful green gaze of his enemy and once-love's son. "Leave," he ordered. "_Now!_"

Grabbing his bag, the boy huffed loudly and turned away, not looking back.

Satisfied with his absence, he began to tell his class the day's lesson:

"Now, today we are going to learn the..."

As he spoke, he began to miss the deep timber of his voice. The reedy sound that filled his ears just sounded so _young _and it made him feel all the more helpless every time he heard it leave his mouth.

* * *

Watching the duo clean the floor with toothbrushes, Severus had to stifle a yawn as he drummed his legs against his desk in an effort to stay awake. He knew he'd said they weren't leaving until the _whole _floor was clean, but something or, rather, _someone _passed the threshold of his classroom. Looking up, Severus pushed himself off his desk to meet the Headmaster.

"Hello, sir," he greeted.

There was a twinkle in the bearded man's eye as he nodded. "Good evening, Severus."

"What brings you here?" the small professor inquired as he subconsciously began to fidget with his shirt's collar.

Clearing his throat, Albus turned to the two students watching with feigned disinterest. "You boys are dismissed," he said to them.

Unhappy at the usurping of his authority, Severus began to protest, "Sir! They are _my_-" But it was too late, the boys had gotten their things and already disappeared out the door. Scowling, Severus turned to look at the old man. "I thought we agreed you'd let me handle _my _student _my way_."

"Usually, yes," the Headmaster agreed with a chuckle. "However..." Albus trailed off suddenly, looking very grave. "I wanted to check up on you."

The child professor blinked. "Me? Oh I'm fine sir, a few lost house points and a couple of detentions were given throughout the day and I'd say they'll be treating me with the usual disdain just in time for this to be fixed." He ran a hand through his hair and chortled, "I only need to survive several more days, remember?"

"About that…"

Alarm bells went off in the ex-potions professor's mind. "What? Are they afraid it will take the weekend as well? That's so typical of the ministry!" he complained while fussily crossing his arms.

"No, Severus," Albus murmured as he reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "They've been running the numbers and lining up ingredients for almost three days now and..." he paused, searching Severus's blank child-face. "They don't see a cure in sight," Albus explained as gently as one in his position possibly could.

"You're joking."

Somberly, the old man shook his head, "I'm so sorry, my boy..."

"No," the small professor warbled, "No, there _has _to be a cure! Let-let me look at it, let _me _try! I can, I can, I can do it, I know I can! I can..."

Albus shook his head. "You know we can't let you experiment, it's far too dangerous," he reminded the man turned child.

Shaking, Severus gave a mute jerk of his head before ripping himself away from the Headmaster. And then, Severus did something he hadn't done since he found out his mother died during his fifth year, he ran.

"Severus!" Albus called after him, but the defense professor ignored him in favor of losing himself somewhere in the bowels of the Hogwarts.

* * *

He was the biggest dunderhead on the planet, Severus decided as he ignored the other professors calling his name. Stifling a cry beneath his hand, the boy turned his back to the opening and curled even further in on himself; he wanted to just die and never face the world of the living again. Maybe the best way to do that was to stay here…

xXxXx

Instinct kicked in the moment someone began to drag him out by the back of his shirt. Twisting, Severus started to claw at the hand that held him with the ferocity of a man about to meet death. But, before he could lunge, once he was free of his hiding space, another set of arms wrapped around him. Putting the small professor in a bear hug that was inescapable. Breathing fast and mind quickly falling back in time, all Severus knew to whisper was the one thing that sometimes brought pity from his personal villains.

"I'm sorry."

The arms around him let go and he fell forward until someone caught him and hoisted the defense professor back on his feet.

"Are you alright, professor?" he looked up, It was Luna Lovegood.

Brushing a hand down his shirt and then scrubbing at the grittiness in his eyes, he nodded. "I am well, thank you," he answered.

"We should probably take him to the Headmaster, don't you think, Luna?"

Spinning around, Severus saw it was Ginny Weasley who had spoken.

He frowned at the two girls. "Why the Headmaster?" he asked.

"He told us all this morning when we began searching for you to take you to a teacher if we found you," Ginny replied.

The boy gave them a quizzical look. "He's making _students _look for me?" he questioned with a fair amount of astonishment.

"Sort of," Ginny answered. Then, blushing, she muttered, "He said you'd disappeared after he told this wasn't - well, you know, and some of us felt..." she trailed off as she waved a hand at his body.

"I see," he whispered, hot tears searing the back of his eyes.

Pointing down the hall, the redhead grinned and said, "Let's get going, then!"

And once the trio set off, it wasn't long before they stumbled across the Headmistress, who instantly reached out for her child colleague.

"Severus!" she cried with relief. "Oh, what were you thinking?" she demanded as she ran her hands over him."You are well, aren't you? Nothing broken or bruised?"

He frowned and batted away her hands. "I am well and I'd appreciate you _not _treating me like a student!"

The girls, having not left, watched with amused and fascinated eyes. It was unlike Minerva to react in such a way, and the newness of their ex-potions teacher's appearance had yet to lose its charm. The Scottish woman smiled weakly and came around to put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Forgive me, Severus," Minerva murmured. She looked back to the girls. "Thank you, Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley," she said.

The blonde and redhead grinned. "It was no trouble at all, Professor McGonagall," Luna deflected with an airy twirl of her feathery hair. And the two stayed where they were to watch the woman guide the boy away - likely to the Headmaster's location.

* * *

Seated across from the bearded man, Severus hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry, sir," he whispered.

"I suppose I should have suspected that could be a reaction,"Albus sighed, "You behaved in a similar manner when I announced your mother's death..."

The defense professor winced. "Let's not talk about that."

"Of course," the old man agreed. "Lemon drop?"

Severus glared. "I hate them," he snapped. "Instead of beating around the bush, tell me what you are to do with me? Turn me out? Put me in an orphanage? Make me walk around here and pretend to be a _student_?"

"I wouldn't do that to you," the man frowned. "Yes, we'll need a different defense professor…but I think we could apprentice you to Horace - or call you his assistant, anyway," he mused. Albus reached across the divide then to take the child's hand. "You have served me well and I won't turn you away because this has happened," he told him with grave solemnity

"I would," the small professor said, "I'm useless."

Looking to Severus's pale, boy-slim hand, the Headmaster shook his head. "Then, I suppose, aren't we fortunate I am not you?"

"If-If I stay...am I expected to interact with the students?" Severus questioned.

Sitting back, the bearded man fiddled with his spectacles, "It would do you well to build up some sort of repertoire. They are aware of things and who knows what you could garner from their conversations."

"Forgive me, sir," the boy sneered. "But I think we _both _know I've gathered more than enough information on what will occur." He looked to his small hands then, feeling inadequate. "Narcissa is going to be terribly distraught when she hears of this development," he confided in the old wizard before him.

Albus rubbed at his eyes beneath his bifocals. "I truly am sorry, my boy," he sighed. "If only..."

"If only I hadn't been working on _that _potion, if only I hadn't been putting in _that _ingredient, if only he hadn't called for me at _that _second..." Severus listed off with a dark and wishful undertone.

"Timing is everything," Albus concurred with a chuckle that sounded mirthless.

Clenching the arms of his chair, the now ex-defense professor mumbled, "Indeed. May I go now, sir?"

"Of course," the Headmaster agreed and so, Severus went.

* * *

Pulling aside Draco, Severus studied his godson's countenance. It was pale. Worn. Sickly. Evidently, his failures were beginning to catch up with him. Severus felt guilty about this fact, if things had gone differently, he might have been there more for him.

His godson wouldn't be nearly so close to failure.

Despite it all, though, he was standing up to all the stress admirably. Maybe the Lord had been smart to pick Draco over others, because even if he was scared, and messing up at every turn, he had not given up or gone around the bend.

Sometimes, Severus thought the Lord knew them a great deal better than they liked to give him credit for. The thought scared Severus enough for him to shake his head and meet his godson's gaze.

"I can help, you know," he told him.

Disgusted the blond crossed his arms. "Forgive me _sir_, but you are _younger _than me now and I doubt you can do any better!" he snapped angrily.

Frowning, Severus narrowed his eyes. "You see, that's where you're _wrong_. Despite my appearance, I am still in possession of a capable mind and my ties are closer to Dumbledore than yours ever will be!" he countered in a low voice.

"This is my mission! _Mine_!" Draco roared, all pretenses of keeping things hushed and private lost in his rage.

Severus felt something. Maybe he'd caught something from the corner of his eye or maybe he'd just heard a misplaced creak, but something told him to wrap this up. Now.

"I understand..." he soothed his godson with a brief pat on his arm, "But, it doesn't mean you can't use me as a resource. I _am _here, use me."

Draco appeared unsettled at this idea, but eventually, he nodded. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," Severus replied, his eyes searching and failing to find anything suspicious in their surroundings.

Maybe it really had only been in his mind? Brought on by his godson's shouting when he ought to have been whispering?

* * *

Letting the man check his bag, Severus sat on his bed and flipped idly through a student's paper. "Why, sir, are you so instant that I go to the _Weasleys _of all people for Christmas Holidays? Surely I'd be of better use here…"

"No, I'd like you there," Albus insisted.

Hopping off his bed, Severus took his satchel and packed the papers in his possession away. "But you agree, I should be back after Christmas? Horace will need my help and I'd like to…" he trailed off, not quite wanting to say.

"Check on Draco? And the Slytherins?" the old man replied with some amusement to his twinkling eyes. "Yes, Severus, you will be back soon enough," he replied with fond exasperation.

Hesitating, the boy looked up at the Headmaster. "What is it that you've heard, sir? What has made you decide I am needed at the Burrow?"

"Just a feeling, my boy," the old wizard chuckled as he attempted to pat his head.

Ducking away, Severus snapped, "I'm not a boy, Albus! Do not treat me as such."

The twinkling eyes dulled some and the wizard smiled wanly. "Of course, my boy," he relented.

"Shall we sir?" Severus asked and when the Headmaster began to move, he did as well. A knot in his stomach and nerves already demanding that he fidget with his collar or sleeves. He didn't want to know what the little golden brats would say when they found he was going to stay with them through Christmas.

xXxXx

Walking in behind the lanky redhead and Potter, Severus's eyes dart around, looking for escape routes perchance they became necessary. But then the two teenagers moved aside and he was exposed to Molly Weasley's maternal gaze.

"Ah, Severus!" she exclaimed as she approached him with a smile. "Dumbledore said you would be staying with us until after Christmas."

Clutching his satchel, he stared up at her with sharp eyes. "I'm glad he notified _you _in advance at least..."

"Oh," she mumbled, obviously unaware that he'd not known until this morning. Her smile wavered. "Well, we have a room set up for you. I hope you don't mind sharing with Ron, Harry!" she called after the two teenagers.

The messy-haired youth paused in where he was conversing with Arthur. "No, that's alright," he replied.

Motioning him forward with an open hand, the older woman said to Severus, "Come this way, dear."

The defense professor wanted to tell her he hated endearments, That he was no one's "dear". But it felt ungrateful. And so, he instead bit his lip and let her babble as she pleased, only objecting when a hand came too near to rest on his shoulder. He would let her call him what she wanted, tell him what she wanted and place him where she wanted, but even Molly Weasley, the matron of matrons, _would not_ _touch him as she wanted._

No matter how harmless, gentle, or kind her touch was.

He'd only allowed two women to touch him with kindness and he'd be damned if he let a new woman begin to caress him after he'd gone over sixteen years without.

* * *

**Thoughts? How do you like this first half?**

**Thank you all a ton for reading and please review.**


	2. Part 2

_Life is our Sentence_

* * *

Staying with the Weasleys was...not uncomfortable, but he still felt like an outsider.

Walking through the home to return to his borrowed bedroom after a short stroll outside (something told him this was why Albus sent him, he took to pacing and strolls when restless and the man knew there would not be the many floors and halls of Hogwarts to house him here. And for the first time in months, he was finally made to go outside; the snow and freezing weather doing little to deter him) he passed by Potter and the youngest Weasley boy working on homework. Perchance, the defense professor's casual once over caught something of interest.

Pausing, he squinted at the book propped up in front of the fire. An old flame of his mind was rekindled at the sight of it; he _knew _that book, from the fraying edges to spidery scrawl scrunched in the white spaces it was-

"That's my book," he said.

A redhead and bespectacled boy looked up at the sound of his faint voice. Propping his head on his chin, Harry asked, "What?"

Instinct told him to shrink back, to become mute and scuttle off; but, the small professor was not a child and told himself he would not behave as such. "That's my book," he repeated, pointing at the shabby thing.

"This?" Potter inquired holding up his old schoolbook.

He nodded.

Frowning, the Weasley boy grumbled, "Well, isn't that great?"

"Ron!" the dark-haired teenager hissed. "Do you want it back?" he asked Severus.

He shook his head in response. "You need all the help you can get, Mister Potter."

Potter gaped, but, then, as if he found ex-potions professors jab humorous, he laughed. "Thanks, Professor," he finally said while turning back to his homework.

Troubled, the boy stood there for a while longer, not quite sure if he should be bothered or if it would be better for him to go on and take pleasure in their interaction ending without stress. Walking on, the Severus hardly realized he was smiling to himself.

xXxXx

"Were you always so small?"

The question was posed without malice and with true wonderment, but Severus till squirmed with unhappiness. Even on his best days, he did not enjoy extended contact with Remus Lupin. Now that he was twelve with twelve year old emotions fighting with adult rationality? Even less so. So, with fingers tucked beneath his legs and a scowl on his face, Severus snapped back,

"Hardly!"

The werewolf tilted his head and looked truly apologetic. "Somehow, I feel as if you've always been smaller," he remarked in a far off voice.

Getting up, the boy declared, "I do not have to sit around for this degradation!"

"Oh, yes, you do!" Molly harped back from her spot in the middle of the room beside her husband and daughter, "I will not have us separated on Christmas Eve! We will be together and we will be _happy _and _pleasant _or so help me-"

The gathered look quite amused, but Severus and Lupin were embarrassed. Despite their differences, both cared little for unexpected attention. Reluctantly, the ex-potions professor fell back into his seat. He fidgeted still.

And later, he had nightmares.

The next morning, he was flinching at sudden movements and Lupin, as he took his leave, looked on sadly.

Some scars would never stop hurting.

* * *

Coming back to Hogwarts was a bit like coming home. It alleviated his mind to see her familiar halls and rooms, but the feeling didn't last long. The Headmaster greeted him soon enough and Severus's heart was deadened to know what was to come. There wasn't any stopping it, despite what he wanted...

He wondered, briefly, what they would do with him if he managed to complete his task in this form.

Somehow, Severus doubted they'd take pity on him. Being thirteen in appearance didn't do much to hide the fact that he was an adult in mind. Rubbing at his throbbing head, Severus began to put preparations in place. He would need a speedy escape in just a few months time, he was sure.

xXxXx

The ex-potions professor swept into the room and at the sight of his pale godson upon the ground with blood filling the rivets of the stone floor, he felt his stomach roll. Pushing forward despite the distasteful amount of blood that may have made him sick if not for years of familiarity with the substance, Severus brushed past Potter, who stood dumbstruck.

Absently, Severus wondered if he shouldn't have taken back his potions book that warm evening. But it is too late to regret his shortcomings as he fell to his knees and brought his wand to the grave wound etched across his godson's torso. Draco's eyes fluttered and a sigh that sounded a little too much like "Sev" frayed his nerves further as he tried to heal the cut.

He was seized by fear at the sluggishness of his magic, it should be working faster! His godson shouldn't be _bleeding, _still! It was then, with the sting of loss, the small professor was made to realize that his thirteen year old body's magic reserves simply weren't enough to staunch the bleeding. They weren't enough to sooth the intent behind the spell. Glancing behind his shoulder, he noted that Potter still hung back there with a pale face and large eyes.

"Potter!" he barked.

The teenager startled. "Yes, sir?" he murmured.

"Here. Now," Severus ordered with a jerk of his head. Harry Potter came and did not hesitate at the blood as he fell to the stone floor beside him (later, the defense professor would wonder why he did not recoil, but, for now, Severus was simply grateful). "I need you to _want _to help Draco, and I need you to place your hand on top of mine." His voice wavered at his next words. "It seems I do not have enough magic to fix your blunder on my own," he admitted.

"Of course, sir," Harry agreed putting his hot, sweaty hand on top of the ex-potions professors.

Thankfully, a moment later Severus's healing spell began to work properly and the wound nit itself back together. Relieved, he flopped back with a dizzy head. Draco would need a blood replenishing potion or two, but he would be _fine._ And, oh Merlin, he'd been _so close _to death and it was all because of-

His head turned. A deep, furious scowl marring his too young face, Severus bellowed, "GET OUT!"

Potter scrambled to his feet, stumbling from his own exhaustion as Severus hurled a castaway book at him. "LEAVE YOU CHILDISH DUNDERHEAD!" he shrilled and the bespectacled boy all but ran from the room. This left Severus with the chance to weep in relief over his godson as he struggled to get up to find the necessary potions to finish healing Draco, still laid out in a mess of drying blood.

* * *

Before he could really understand what he had done, Severus saw the green light leave his wand and strike the Headmaster. Mouth falling open, he stood there for a moment. Blood rushing in his ears and deafening him.

_The Headmaster was dead. _**_Albus Dumbledore was dead. DEAD!_**

With this horrifying thought in mind, Severus may have stood there a while longer, contemplating the execution that was surely awaiting him once it was all sorted out, but, suddenly, other Death Eaters were rushing past him. Jostling the ex-potions professor as they ran after their true enemy:

Harry Potter.

Cursing himself, his fellow Death Eaters, Harry Potter, the war and Voldemort, Severus ran after them. Yelling at the top of his boy-lungs in his shrill, unfinished voice, "Don't hurt him! Don't kill Harry Potter!"

It went on like that for a while as they battled through Hogwarts, racing through grand halls, fighting off other students - the castle itself. Despite it all, they were like hounds of a chase and they would capture Harry Potter at any means necessary. Severus cried out for them not to harm Potter until his voice was hoarse, but the longer things went on, the more Severus knew they weren't taking him seriously.

Why would they, though? He was a boy. No one looked at a boy and listened to his commands. It was as they nearly cornered Harry that Severus heard a familiar unforgivable leave someone's lips.

Knowing that he could not allow harm to happen to the boy, not to Lily's son, not to the wizarding world's only hope, Severus dove in front of the curse. A scream escaped his lips as his whole body turned to fire. Every nerve burned and all his senses felt completely overwhelmed and he may have kept screaming if he hadn't felt the arms gather him up.

Still moaning, he barely heard the voice whisper, "You saved me..."

And even less did Severus notice that the arms holding him were attached to a running body.

xXxXx

It was sheer luck, Harry decided later, that he had run into his friends at all in the havoc. Even more when they didn't question the presence of the diminutive professor chattering away in his arms. Dodging spells and curses as they tried to find a way out of the castle, Hermione took lead and brought the trio out of the castle. Running across Hogwarts's grounds as several Death Eaters chased after them, casting curse after curse at their heels, Harry didn't think they'd get out of there alive.

And he certainly didn't believe they'd get the ex-potions professor out of the fray.

Crashing into the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the trio thrashed through the under brush and eventually jumped into a ravine as Death Eaters above stopped and demanded of each other where they had gotten to. Pressed against the dirty edge of the ravine, Harry kept the boy close to his throat in an attempt to muffle his quite whimpers.

After a short while, the dark wizards split under the belief that they'd run in a different direction.

Meaningfully, Hermione exchanged glances with him and Ron. Taking her hand as Ron did the same, he felt the pull of apparation at his navel and with closed eyes, kept Severus as close as he could as they went to a place only Hermione knew.

They ended up at some ocean shore, Harry still holding Snape and Ron beside him as Hermione looked to the ocean and then at them. "I used to come here with my parents," she told them. "I don't think we can stay here all that long, but..." she shrugged with wet eyes. "It's better than being _there_."

"Yeah," Harry croaked as their ex-professor trembled against him.

Ron walked over to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulder.

Turning then to him, the redhead questioned, "What happened, Harry? Why do you have Snape?"

"He saved me," he answered without hesitation

Hermione blinked as she leaned more fully into Ron's body. "What do you mean, Harry?" she demanded.

"He saved me," The bespectacled teenager repeated. "But he killed Dumbledore…" Looking up at his friends, he whispered helplessly, "I don't understand."

His friends eyes were wide and Ron's face suddenly morphed into a scowl as the beginning of a curse left his lips, "That _bast-_"

"The H-Headmaster sa-aid to," the boy in Harry's lap stuttered. "W-Was dying anyway."

Harry grabbed his chin and dark-eyes glared up at him. "What do you mean he was dying?" the older teenager growled.

His ex-potions professor frowned and jerked away from the grasp. "He did something thoughtless and h-he was dying." Seemingly regaining strength, Snape pushed himself up and tried to move away, but the bespectacled boy took his arm in a rough hold and caused him to yelp from the pain that still vibrated through his whole being.

It took a little bit of interrogating, and a couple hours, but Snape ended up explain just what his role in everything was. He was a double agent and worked for Dumbledore. Up until the accident he'd been an active Death Eater too. He also explained a lot of other stuff and by the end, Harry almost felt he respected the guy.

He still didn't like him and didn't, _couldn't_, understand why the ex-potions professor thought he had to be a right arse to fulfill his mission of keeping Harry alive, but he could put it aside. For now.

It so happened he knew a few things about horcruxes and was willing to help them out. Snape wanted to start at soon as possible (meaning, right now,) and Harry wanted to go back to Hogwarts to see what the damage was and be there for Dumbledore's funeral. Ron and Hermione agreed with him.

"We have to find out what happened!" Ron yelled.

The professor shook his head. "Time is of the essence. The sooner we find and destroy the horcruxes the better."

Hermione, ever the mediator asked, "Could a couple of us go back? Like Harry and Ron? The other two could figure out where we start."

Snape didn't look at all pleased, but eventually relented and Ron and Harry left.

Turning to the boy, Hermione questioned, "What are you going to do once we get rid of the last horcruxes?"

The ex-potions professor looked at her. "Disappear," he answered. "I have no interest in going back to Hogwarts. _You _three might have believed my story, but I doubt many others will."

"Surely we can-"

"_No, _Miss Granger," Snape sighed. Scrubbing at his eyes, the thirteen year old said, "I tire of this life and I when I have fulfilled my mission, I will find a place to quietly exile myself and stay there the rest of my days."

The girl did not like this plan at all. She thought a man who'd done so much deserved better, but Hermione realized she would not convince him now. Maybe, with time, she could formulate a better future for her professor with the help of Harry and Ron.

Looking at the skinny boy that still shook from time to time from the unforgivable cast upon him, the Gryffindor felt a sad smile pull at her lips. "Would you like to lie down for just a few minutes? The curse seems to still be affecting you," she commented

"I'm-" he growled lowly beneath his breath. "I just need a second to gather myself." And curling in on himself, Snape hunched his shoulders and put his pale face in his hands, his dark hair curtaining his features.

Waiting for him, Hermione turned her head skyward and began to think of the future.

* * *

**You know what? I don't know. I considered writing a lot more to this, but I feel an open end like such as this is much more interesting and will let you, the readers, make your own ending. Happy or sad.**

**Thank you so very much for reading and please review.**


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